Words by Jade Williams
Patients with type 2 diabetes taking GLP-1 treatments have a reduced chance of developing obesity-related cancers than those taking insulin and other diabetes drugs, according to a new study.
Researchers found that patients treated with a GLP-1 therapy instead of insulin had a “significant risk reduction” in 10 cancers, including those in the gallbladder and kidneys, demonstrating the potential benefit that these drugs could have for prevention in this high-risk population.
The latest iterations of these drugs from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have attracted attention not only for their efficacy in treating diabetes and reducing weight, but also for their potential wider health benefits.
As the understanding of these GLP-1 treatments evolve, their role in reducing cancer risk could become a crucial aspect of therapeutic strategies for patients with type 2 diabetes. Further studies are essential to fully explore the cancer-preventive properties of these drugs, however, and to further optimise their usage in clinical practice.
